As we prepare and look forward to the Boston Marathon on Monday, many members of the BPD Runners Club are getting ready to run it. The Boston Police Department Runners Club is an organization of dedicated runners who run to raise awareness regarding the needs of those who can’t run or don't have a voice that is heard in our community. They raise funds through running that goes directly back to the community, with donations usually including health and wellness products.

The Runners Club started about 26 years ago, with approximately 225-250 members per year. Anyone is allowed to join, the only qualifications are that you try and make a difference in the community with you're running and promote goodwill.

The Runners Club has about 125 runners running in the Boston Marathon this year. Fifteen of these are Boston Police Officers, but the group also includes visiting police officers from LAPD, Chicago PD, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Police, several local cities and towns, and several people from the Boston Community that share the same commitment to the community.

Detective Cecil Jones is the current president of the Runners Club, and has been for the last 10 years. As the president, he keeps the focus on making a positive impact with the resources they have, expanding the partnerships already in place, and staying committed to the youth of our community.